Geophysical Survey of the Grand Place in Brussels - An Example of Prospection in an Urban Context

A geophysical survey of Brussels' Grand Place revealed subsurface features predating the 17th century, overcoming urban challenges like limited space and electromagnetic noise. Researchers combined Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) with capacitively coupled resistivity surveys using three offset arrays to probe depths of 1, 1.5, and 2 meters, compensating for the shallow penetration of GPR in clay-rich substrata. This method successfully identified buried structures, demonstrating an effective approach for urban archaeological prospection despite environmental constraints.

Tabbagh, A., Dabas, M., Blary, F., Catanzariti, G., Charruadas, P., Flageul, S., Van Nieuwenhoeve, B., & Sosnowska, P. (2019). Geophysical Survey of the Grand Place in Brussels - An Example of Prospection in an Urban Context. 25th European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201902493